Spring spreader



Oct. 21, 1941. E. M. PFAUSER SPRING SPREADER 'Filed Jan. 9, 1939 a I INVENTOR Patented Oct. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING SPREADER Edward M. Pfauser, Elm Grove, Wis., assignor to Blackhawk Mfg.. 00., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application January 9, 1939, Serial No. 249,887

2 Claims. (Cl. 29-871) This invention relates primarily to improveattachment to relatively standard jack assemments in the construction and operation of apblages. paratus for spreading leaf springs in order to A further specific object of this invention is to facilitate removal and insertion of the spring provide an improved spring spreading assemhanger pins coacting with the opposite spring 5 blage which can be readily applied and manipuends. lated; and which may be manufactured at An object of the present invention is-to promoderate cost. vide a new and useful spring spreading assem- These and other specifi O j d advanblage which is simple in construction and highly es will be apparent from the followin efficient in use. tailed description.

It has heretofore been common practice in A clear conception o an embodiment of y the automobile industry, to utilize fluid pressure present invention, and 0f e e of utiliZiI-ig actuated jacks or rams for the purpose of spreadthe improvement to effect spreading o l a ing the opposite ends of relatively stiff vehicle Springs, y be h y referring to t e drawbody supporting leaf springs, in order to permit g accompanying a d forming a P Of t s convenient insertion and r v l of th spring specification in which like reference characters hanger pins or ha kl studs t t springs ends designate the same or similar parts in the several The type of hydraulic jack ordinarily utilized Views:

for this purpos comprises generally a cylinder Fig. 1 is a part sectional side elevation of a having a plunger slidable therein and project- Spring and sp a ja k ass m a s w ing outwardly thr t open cylinder end, the jack in section and in the act of spreading and an elongated extension projecting away the leaf p n 'from th opposite closed end of t cylinder m Fig.' 2 is an enlarged top view of one of the imline with th plunger. This jack assembly may Proved Spreader fittings;

be disposed between the pin or Stud receiving Fig. 31s a longitudinal vertical section through loops formed integral with the opposite ends of the fitting of taken along the line the spring, and wedge shaped fittings are usually and interposed between the outer ends of the jack 4 is a similarly enlarged end View of the plunger and extension, and the adjacent spring fittingend loops in order to prevent the jack f While I have shown and described the imcoming displaced while t Spring is spread proved appliance in conjunction with a particu- The wedge portions of the retainer fittings heretype of hydraulic jack, it is not the intent to tofore empl y d, were ofi'-set relative to the thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope or utility common axis of the cylinder, plunger, and exof the inventiontension, and also with respect to the axes of the 35 Referring to the drawing, in the assemblage of shackle studs, and when spreading force was a Standard multiple leaf Spring 5 has D- applied by th j k, t flf-set disposition of posite looped ends I, 8 formed integral with the the wedges would subject t elongated jack upper leaf, and adapted for reception of shackle assembly to enormous transverse stresses and Studs The several leaves of the p ng 6 are would in many cases actually bend the jack elenormally held, together by retainer Straps In, ments laterally and cause permanent distortion and the Portion of the Spring, midway bethereof. tween the looped ends 1, 8 normally rests upon It i therefor a more specific object of my and is attached to the vehicle axle, while the present invention, to provide an improved fitting studs 9 are by links suspended from the adapted for disposition between the spring ends body of the vehlcle in wen known mannerand a spreader jack for leaf springs, which will The hydraulic mm or jack which is shown relieve the jack from undesirable lateral stresses gfif i ggi g sig' ig figfii ig gfig W 51 e e preventme the Jack ing outwardly through the open. end thereof and sen; a e om heme d sp while the spring a duct l3 for admitting liquid to and for exhaustis Aeuii spread ing the liquid from the cylinder II. An elonn0 8 p fie O J 0f the invention is to gated extension I4 is-secured to and projects provide a spring spreader fitting which is espeaway from the opposite closed end of the cylinder cially adapted for coaction with the looped ends H, in line with the plunger l2, and the outer of leaf springs, and which may be applied as an 55 ends of the plunger l2 and extension I 4 are threaded for the reception of my improved fittings. This hydraulic Jack assemblage is-also old and well known, and the overall length of the jack may be varied by replacing the extension ll with a longer or shorter similar element. My improved spring spreader fitting I is shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and each of these fittings I 5 has an internally threaded socket I6 at one end adapted for firm but detachable attach ment'to the adjacent threaded end of the plunger I2 or extension I4. The opposite end of each fit-- ting I5 is provided with a laterally extending elongated -V-shaped concavity II which is inter-- rupted intermediate its ends by a central notch I8. disposed in line with the axis of the socket I8, and the two end portionsof the fitting are rigidly interconnected by side ribs I9 and a stiff web 20.

When the fittings I5 have been appliedto a jack assemblage and positioned between the looped ends I, 8 of a leaf spring 6 as in Fig. 1, and the jack is expanded by admitting liquid under pressure to the cylinder II through the duct I3, the fittings I5 carried by the outer extremities of the plunger I2 and extension It will be forced i'ntoengagement alongthe concavities I! with the spring ends I, 8. By virtue of the V-shape of the concavities I4, and due to the provision of the notches I8, the outer ends of thefittlngs I5 will readily find bearing line or point contact at several places, upon the spring end loops, regardless ofv irregularities existing on the adjacent surfaces of the loop ends'l, 8. Because of the fact' that the fittings. I 5 have screw thread attach- 1 V ment with the 'plunger I2 and extension I4, these fittings may also rotate slightly about the longitudinal jack axis during initial application of spreading force, thus also insuring proper seating of the concavities I'I against the loop ends I, 8. As additional hydraulic pressure is applied to the'ja'ck'and the plunger I2 moves outwardly, the spring ends 'I, 8 will be forced apart and the lateral pressures to which the studs 9 are normally subjected, will be gradually released. The

' plane of the jack axis and of the shackle pin studs 9 may then be freely withdrawn from the i loop ends-1, 8 while the spring 6 is retained in spread conditio'nby the jack assembly, and the pins or studs 9 may obviously be just as easily returned or reinserted within the loops.

- i "It willbe apparent from the foregoing description, that the symmetrical formation and central dispo ition of the V-shaped concavities I! of the improved fittings I5, in true alinement with the axisofrelative movement of the plunger I2 and extension. I4, prevents the jack elements from being subjected to undesirable lateral stresses which tend tobend these parts. regardless of. variations in the fixed sizes or diam- Thisistrue axes. The angular concavities I'I aided by the notches II will insure proper cooperation between the fittings I5 and the spring loops, even if central pins are used to normally hold the studs 9 in place, and the threaded sockets l6 of the fittings I5 also assist in assuring such proper cooperation. The fittings I5 themselves are prevented from bending by the side ribs I9 and web 20, and the improved fittings have proven highly successful in actual use and may obviously be manufactured at extremely moderate cost.

These fittings I5 are moreover very simple in construction and may be readily utilized by a novice, and there is no danger of undesirable dislocation of the spreading assemblage when the fittings have been brought into initial proper location and coaction with the spring ends I, 8.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of use, herein shown and specifically described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

Iclaim: A

l. A spreader assemblage for leaf springs having pin engaging circular end loops, said assemblage comprising,'a jack having relatively separable opposite end portions disposablebetween the spring loops and movable along an axis disposed in the common plane of the loop axes, and fittings interposed between said jack end portions and the adjacent spring loops, each fitting having a transverse concavity. formed symmetrical relative to said plane and engaging the adjacent spring loop on opposite sides of said plane so as to confine said jack portions to relative movement along the jack axis and in said plane.

2. A spreader assemblage for leai' springs having pin engaging cylindrical end loops, said assemblage comprising, a jack having relatively separable coaxial opposite end portions disposable between the spring loops and movable along an axis disposed in the common plane of the loop axes, and fittings rotatable about said jack axis and coacting with said spring loops, each fitting having a V-shaped transverse concavity formed symmetricalrelative to said plane and engaging the adjacent spring loop on opposite sides of said plane so as to confine said jack portions to movement along the jack axis and in said plane.

EDWARD M. PFAUSER. 

